Breast cancer cells that preferentially metastasize to lung or bone are more glycolytic, synthesize serine at greater rates, and consume less ATP and NADPH than parent MDA-MB-231 cells

Gene expression signatures associated with breast cancer metastases suggest that metabolic re-wiring is important for metastatic growth in lungs, bones, and other organs. However, since pathway fluxes depend on additional factors such as ATP demand, allosteric effects, and post-translational modification, flux analysis is necessary to conclusively establish phenotypes. In this study, the metabolic phenotypes of breast cancer cell lines with low (T47D) or high (MDA-MB-231) metastatic potential, as well as lung (LM)- and bone (BoM)-homing lines derived from MDA-MB-231 cells, were assessed by ¹³C metabolite labeling from [1,2-¹³C] glucose or [5-¹³C] glutamine and the rates of nutrient and oxygen consumption and lactate production. MDA-MB-231 and T47D cells produced 55 and 63%, respectively, of ATP from oxidative phosphorylation, whereas LM and BoM cells were more glycolytic, deriving only 20-25% of their ATP from mitochondria. ATP demand by BoM and LM cells was approximately half the rate of the parent cells. Of the anabolic fluxes assessed, nucleotide synthesis was the major ATP consumer for all cell lines. Glycolytic NADH production by LM cells exceeded the rate at which it could be oxidized by mitochondria, suggesting that the malate-aspartate shuttle was not involved in re-oxidation of these reducing equivalents. Serine synthesis was undetectable in MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas 3-5% of glucose was shunted to serine by LM and BoM lines. Proliferation rates of T47D, BoM, and LM lines tightly correlated with their respiration-normalized NADPH production rates. In contrast, MDA-MB-231 cells produced NADPH and GSH at higher rates, suggesting this line is more oxidatively stressed. Approximately half to two-thirds of NADPH produced by T47D, MDA-MB-231, and BoM cells was from the oxidative PPP, whereas the majority in LM cells was from the folate cycle. All four cell lines used the non-oxidative PPP to produce pentose phosphates, although this was most prominent for LM cells. Taken together, the metabolic phenotypes of LM and BoM lines differed from the parent line and from each other, supporting the metabolic re-wiring hypothesis as a feature of metastasis to lung and bone.

Targeting Metabolic Reprogramming by Influenza Infection for Therapeutic Intervention

Influenza is a worldwide health and financial burden posing a significant risk to the immune-compromised, obese, diabetic, elderly, and pediatric populations. We identified increases in glucose metabolism in the lungs of pediatric patients infected with respiratory pathogens. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we found metabolic changes occurring after influenza infection in primary human respiratory cells and validated infection-associated increases in c-Myc, glycolysis, and glutaminolysis. We confirmed these findings with a metabolic drug screen that identified the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 as a regulator of infectious virus production. BEZ235 treatment ablated the transient induction of c-Myc, restored PI3K/mTOR pathway homeostasis measured by 4E-BP1 and p85 phosphorylation, and reversed infection-induced changes in metabolism. Importantly, BEZ235 reduced infectious progeny but had no effect on the early stages of viral replication. BEZ235 significantly increased survival in mice, while reducing viral titer. We show metabolic reprogramming of host cells by influenza virus exposes targets for therapeutic intervention.

Targeting Histone Demethylases in MYC-Driven Neuroblastomas with Ciclopirox

Histone lysine demethylases facilitate the activity of oncogenic transcription factors, including possibly MYC. Here we show that multiple histone demethylases influence the viability and poor prognosis of neuroblastoma cells, where MYC is often overexpressed. We also identified the approved small-molecule antifungal agent ciclopirox as a novel pan-histone demethylase inhibitor. Ciclopirox targeted several histone demethylases, including KDM4B implicated in MYC function. Accordingly, ciclopirox inhibited Myc signaling in parallel with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in suppression of neuroblastoma cell viability and inhibition of tumor growth associated with an induction of differentiation. Our findings provide new insights into epigenetic regulation of MYC function and suggest a novel pharmacologic basis to target histone demethylases as an indirect MYC-targeting approach for cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 77(17); 4626-38. ©2017 AACR.

Metabolic maintenance of cell asymmetry following division in activated T lymphocytes

Asymmetric cell division (ACD)—the partitioning of cellular components in response to polarizing cues during mitosis—plays roles in differentiation and development¹. ACD is important for the self-renewal of neuroblasts in C. elegans and fertilized zygotes in Drosophila, and participates in the development of mammalian nervous and digestive systems¹. T lymphocytes, upon activation by antigen-presenting cells (APC), can undergo ACD, wherein the daughter cell proximal to the APC is more likely to differentiate into an effector-like T cell and the distal daughter more likely to differentiate into a memory-like T cell². Upon activation and prior to cell division, expression of the transcription factor c-Myc drives metabolic reprogramming, necessary for the subsequent proliferative burst³. We found that during the first division of an activated T cell, c-Myc can sort asymmetrically. Asymmetric amino acid transporter distribution, amino acid content, and TORC1 function correlate with c-Myc expression, and both amino acids and TORC1 activity sustain the differences in c-Myc expression in one daughter over the other. Asymmetric c-Myc levels in daughter T cells affect proliferation, metabolism, and differentiation, and these effects are altered by experimental manipulation of TORC1 activity or Myc expression. Therefore, metabolic signaling pathways cooperate with transcription programs to maintain differential cell fates following asymmetric T cell division.

Apoptosis-Inducing-Factor-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Is Required for T Cell but Not B Cell Function

The role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in promoting cell death versus survival remains controversial. We report that the loss of AIF in fibroblasts led to mitochondrial electron transport chain defects and loss of proliferation that could be restored by ectopic expression of the yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Aif-deficiency in T cells led to decreased peripheral T cell numbers and defective homeostatic proliferation, but thymic T cell development was unaffected. In contrast, Aif-deficient B cells developed and functioned normally. The difference in the dependency of T cells versus B cells on AIF for function and survival correlated with their metabolic requirements. Ectopic Ndi1 expression rescued homeostatic proliferation of Aif-deficient T cells. Despite its reported roles in cell death, fibroblasts, thymocytes and B cells lacking AIF underwent normal death. These studies suggest that the primary role of AIF relates to complex I function, with differential effects on T and B cells.

Metabolic reprogramming is required for antibody production that is suppressed in anergic but exaggerated in chronically BAFF-exposed B cells

B cell activation leads to proliferation and Ab production that can protect from pathogens or promote autoimmunity. Regulation of cell metabolism is essential to support the demands of lymphocyte growth and effector function and may regulate tolerance. In this study, we tested the regulation and role of glucose uptake and metabolism in the proliferation and Ab production of control, anergic, and autoimmune-prone B cells. Control B cells had a balanced increase in lactate production and oxygen consumption following activation, with proportionally increased glucose transporter Glut1 expression and mitochondrial mass upon either LPS or BCR stimulation. This contrasted with metabolic reprogramming of T cells, which had lower glycolytic flux when resting but disproportionately increased this pathway upon activation. Importantly, tolerance greatly affected B cell metabolic reprogramming. Anergic B cells remained metabolically quiescent, with only a modest increase in glycolysis and oxygen consumption with LPS stimulation. B cells chronically stimulated with elevated BAFF, however, rapidly increased glycolysis and Ab production upon stimulation. Induction of glycolysis was critical for Ab production, as glycolytic inhibition with the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase inhibitor dichloroacetate sharply suppressed B cell proliferation and Ab secretion in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, B cell-specific deletion of Glut1 led to reduced B cell numbers and impaired Ab production in vivo. Together, these data show that activated B cells require Glut1-dependent metabolic reprogramming to support proliferation and Ab production that is distinct from T cells and that this glycolytic reprogramming is regulated in tolerance.

Widespread mitochondrial depletion via mitophagy does not compromise necroptosis

Programmed necrosis (or necroptosis) is a form of cell death triggered by the activation of receptor interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3). Several reports have implicated mitochondria and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as effectors of RIPK3-dependent cell death. Here, we directly test this idea by employing a method for the specific removal of mitochondria via mitophagy. Mitochondria-deficient cells were resistant to the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, but efficiently died via tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced, RIPK3-dependent programmed necrosis or as a result of direct oligomerization of RIPK3. Although the ROS scavenger butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) delayed TNF-induced necroptosis, it had no effect on necroptosis induced by RIPK3 oligomerization. Furthermore, although TNF-induced ROS production was dependent on mitochondria, the inhibition of TNF-induced necroptosis by BHA was observed in mitochondria-depleted cells. Our data indicate that mitochondrial ROS production accompanies, but does not cause, RIPK3-dependent necroptotic cell death.

Protective roles for caspase-8 and cFLIP in adult homeostasis

Caspase-8 or cellular FLICE-like inhibitor protein (cFLIP) deficiency leads to embryonic lethality in mice due to defects in endothelial tissues. Caspase-8(-/-) and receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3)(-/-), but not cFLIP(-/-) and RIPK3(-/-), double-knockout animals develop normally, indicating that caspase-8 antagonizes the lethal effects of RIPK3 during development. Here, we show that the acute deletion of caspase-8 in the gut of adult mice induces enterocyte death, disruption of tissue homeostasis, and inflammation, resulting in sepsis and mortality. Likewise, acute deletion of caspase-8 in a focal region of the skin induces local keratinocyte death, tissue disruption, and inflammation. Strikingly, RIPK3 ablation rescues both phenotypes. However, acute loss of cFLIP in the skin produces a similar phenotype that is not rescued by RIPK3 ablation. TNF neutralization protects from either acute loss of caspase-8 or cFLIP. These results demonstrate that caspase-8-mediated suppression of RIPK3-induced death is required not only during development but also for adult homeostasis. Furthermore, RIPK3-dependent inflammation is dispensable for the skin phenotype.

Receptor interacting protein kinase 2-mediated mitophagy regulates inflammasome activation during virus infection

NOD2 receptor and the cytosolic protein kinase RIPK2 regulate NF-κB and MAP kinase signaling during bacterial infections, but the role of this immune axis during viral infections has not been addressed. We demonstrate that Nod2(-/-) and Ripk2(-/-) mice are hypersusceptible to infection with influenza A virus. Ripk2(-/-) cells exhibited defective autophagy of mitochondria (mitophagy), leading to enhanced mitochondrial production of superoxide and accumulation of damaged mitochondria, which resulted in greater activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and production of IL-18. RIPK2 regulated mitophagy in a kinase-dependent manner by phosphorylating the mitophagy inducer ULK1. Accordingly, Ulk1(-/-) cells exhibited enhanced mitochondrial production of superoxide and activation of caspase-1. These results demonstrate a role for NOD2-RIPK2 signaling in protection against virally triggered immunopathology by negatively regulating activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and production of IL-18 via ULK1-dependent mitophagy.

Deletion of Bim compromises the quality of CD8 T cell memory after acute infection (P6060)

One important feature of T-cell memory formation is the process of cell death during the contraction phase of the immune response. CD8 T-cell contraction after acute infections is mediated by the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, regulated by the interaction of anti-apoptotic BCL2 with pro-apoptotic Bim. In a murine model of influenza A virus infection, we found that Bim-deficient animals experienced a total ablation of the CD8+ T cell contraction phase leading to the significant accumulation of antigen-specific cells. While these cells displayed typical memory phenotypes, in vivo adoptive transfer and in vitro functional studies show that Bim-deficient memory CD8 T cells are non-responsive to stimulation by antigenic peptides and fail to expand properly on secondary challenge, indicating an intrinsic defect of this spent effector population. These functional deficiencies begin to emerge even at the peak of the primary response. Taken together, these results demonstrate that efficient memory generation entails the generation of a distinct, productive memory lineage that is capable of evading Bim-mediated apoptosis.

Toll-like receptor signaling in the lysosomal pathways

The lysosomal pathway digests material received by two main routes, phagocytosis and autophagy. Cells use phagocytosis to ingest extracellular particles by invaginations of the plasma membrane. In autophagy, a double membrane structure isolates portions of the cytoplasm to target it for degradation. During infection, phagocytes use both of these cellular functions to restrict microbial replication and at the same time to orchestrate an appropriate response against the invader. Toll-like receptor recognition of a pathogen initiates an innate immune response against the pathogen that includes production of inflammatory cytokines, upregulation of costimulatory molecules to prime an adaptive immune response, and activation of phagocytosis and autophagy. Signaling through this family of receptors also produces a hybrid response in which proteins that participate in autophagy are recruited to phagosomes, resulting in expedited microbial elimination. In this review, we discuss recent views on how Toll-like receptors direct microbes to final destruction by regulating the different pathways that lead to the lysosome.

Multiple roles for the C-terminal tail of the chemokine scavenger D6

D6 is a heptahelical receptor that suppresses inflammation and tumorigenesis by scavenging extracellular pro-inflammatory CC chemokines. Previous studies suggested this is dependent on constitutive trafficking of stable D6 protein to and from the cell surface via recycling endosomes. By internalizing chemokine each time it transits the cell surface, D6 can, over time, remove large quantities of these inflammatory mediators. We have investigated the role of the conserved 58-amino acid C terminus of human D6, which, unlike the rest of the protein, shows no clear homology to other heptahelical receptors. We show that, in human HEK293 cells, a serine cluster in this region controls the constitutive phosphorylation, high stability, and intracellular trafficking itinerary of the receptor and drives green fluorescent protein-tagged beta-arrestins to membranes at, and near, the cell surface. Unexpectedly, however, these properties, and the last 44 amino acids of the C terminus, are dispensable for D6 internalization and effective scavenging of the chemokine CCL3. Even in the absence of the last 58 amino acids, D6 still initially internalizes CCL3 but, surprisingly, exposure to ligand inhibits subsequent CCL3 uptake by this mutant. Progressive scavenging is therefore abrogated. We conclude that the heptahelical body of D6 on its own can engage the endocytotic machinery of HEK293 cells but that the C terminus is indispensable for scavenging because it prevents initial chemokine engagement of D6 from inhibiting subsequent chemokine uptake.

GAPDH and autophagy preserve survival after apoptotic cytochrome c release in the absence of caspase activation

In cells undergoing apoptosis, mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is followed by caspase activation promoted by released cytochrome c. Although caspases mediate the apoptotic phenotype, caspase inhibition is generally not sufficient for survival following MOMP; instead cells undergo a "caspase-independent cell death" (CICD). Thus, MOMP may represent a point of commitment to cell death. Here, we identify glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as a critical regulator of CICD. GAPDH-expressing cells preserved their clonogenic potential following MOMP, provided that caspase activation was blocked. GAPDH-mediated protection of cells from CICD involved an elevation in glycolysis and a nuclear function that correlated with and was replaced by an increase in Atg12 expression. Consistent with this, protection from CICD reflected an increase in and a dependence upon autophagy, associated with a transient decrease in mitochondrial mass. Therefore, GAPDH mediates an elevation in glycolysis and enhanced autophagy that cooperate to protect cells from CICD.

Orexin-1 receptor-cannabinoid CB1 receptor heterodimerization results in both ligand-dependent and -independent coordinated alterations of receptor localization and function

Following inducible expression in HEK293 cells, the human orexin-1 receptor was targeted to the cell surface but became internalized following exposure to the peptide agonist orexin A. By contrast, constitutive expression of the human cannabinoid CB1 receptor resulted in a predominantly punctate, intracellular distribution pattern consistent with spontaneous, agonist-independent internalization. Expression of the orexin-1 receptor in the presence of the CB1 receptor resulted in both receptors displaying the spontaneous internalization phenotype. Single cell fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging indicated the two receptors were present as heterodimers/oligomers in intracellular vesicles. Addition of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR-141716A to cells expressing only the CB1 receptor resulted in re-localization of the receptor to the cell surface. Although SR-141716A has no significant affinity for the orexin-1 receptor, in cells co-expressing the CB1 receptor, the orexin-1 receptor was also re-localized to the cell surface by treatment with SR-141716A. Treatment of cells co-expressing the orexin-1 and CB1 receptors with the orexin-1 receptor antagonist SB-674042 also resulted in re-localization of both receptors to the cell surface. Treatment with SR-141716A resulted in decreased potency of orexin A to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2 only in cells co-expressing the two receptors. Treatment with SB-674042 also reduced the potency of a CB1 receptor agonist to phosphorylate ERK1/2 only when the two receptors were co-expressed. These studies introduce an entirely novel pharmacological paradigm, whereby ligands modulate the function of receptors for which they have no significant inherent affinity by acting as regulators of receptor heterodimers.

The chemokine receptor CCX-CKR mediates effective scavenging of CCL19 in vitro

The chemokines CCL19, CCL21 and CCL25, by signalling through the receptors CCR7 or CCR9, play critical roles in leukocyte homing. They also bind another heptahelical surface protein, CCX-CKR. CCX-CKR cannot couple to typical chemokine receptor signalling pathways or mediate chemotaxis, and its function remains unclear. We have proposed that it controls chemokine bioavailability. Here, using transfected HEK293 cells, we have shown that both CCX-CKR and CCR7 mediate rapid CCL19 internalisation upon initial chemokine exposure. However, internalised CCL19 was more efficiently retained and degraded after uptake via CCX-CKR. More importantly, CCR7 rapidly became refractory for CCL19 uptake, but the sequestration activity of CCX-CKR was enhanced. These properties endowed CCX-CKR with an impressive ability to mediate progressive sequestration and degradation of large quantities of CCL19, and conversely, prevented CCR7-expressing cells from extensively altering their chemokine environment. These differences may be linked to the routes of endocytosis used by these receptors. CCX-CKR, unlike CCR7, was not critically dependent on beta-arrestins or clathrin-coated pits. However, over-expression of caveolin-1, which stabilises caveolae, blocked CCL19 uptake by CCX-CKR while having no impact on other chemokine receptors, including CCR7. These data predict that CCX-CKR scavenges extracellular chemokines in vivo to modify responses through CCR7.

The sustainability of interactions between the orexin-1 receptor and beta-arrestin-2 is defined by a single C-terminal cluster of hydroxy amino acids and modulates the kinetics of ERK MAPK regulation

The orexin-1 receptor interacts with beta-arrestin-2 in an agonist-dependent manner. In HEK-293T cells, these two proteins became co-internalized into acidic endosomes. Truncations from the C-terminal tail did not prevent agonist-induced internalization of the orexin-1 receptor or alter the pathway of internalization, although such mutants failed to interact with beta-arrestin-2 in a sustained manner or produce its co-internalization. Mutation of a cluster of three threonine and one serine residue at the extreme C-terminus of the receptor greatly reduced interaction and abolished co-internalization of beta-arrestin-2-GFP (green fluorescent protein). Despite the weak interactions of this C-terminally mutated form of the receptor with beta-arrestin-2, studies in wild-type and beta-arrestin-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts confirmed that agonist-induced internalization of this mutant required expression of a beta-arrestin. Although without effect on agonist-mediated elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels, the C-terminally mutated form of the orexin-1 receptor was unable to sustain phosphorylation of the MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases) ERK1 and ERK2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2) to the same extent as the wild-type receptor. These studies indicate that a single cluster of hydroxy amino acids within the C-terminal seven amino acids of the orexin-1 receptor determine the sustainability of interaction with beta-arrestin-2, and indicate an important role of beta-arrestin scaffolding in defining the kinetics of orexin-1 receptor-mediated ERK MAPK activation.

Interactions between the Mas-Related Receptors MrgD and MrgE Alter Signalling and Trafficking of MrgD

When expressed via an inducible promoter in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, the rat Mas-related gene D (rMrgD) receptor responded to beta-alanine but not L-alanine by elevating intracellular [Ca(2+)], stimulating phosphorylation of the mitogenactivated protein kinases known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and ERK2 and translocating from the plasma membrane to punctate intracellular vesicles. By contrast, the related rat Mas-related gene E (rMrgE) receptor did not respond to beta-alanine. Coexpression of rMrgD with rMrgE, which occurs in peripheral nociceptive neurons, allowed coimmunoprecipitation of the two receptors and resulted in the detection of cell surface rMrgD-rMrgE heterodimers via timeresolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer. These interactions increased the potency of beta-alanine to phosphorylate ERK1 and ERK2 as well as maintaining the capacity of beta-alanine to elevate intracellular [Ca(2+)], which was reduced in magnitude and slowed in response with increasing times of expression of rMrgD in isolation. Associated with these effects, the presence of rMrgE restricted beta-alanine-induced internalization of rMrgD. This is the first report of heterodimeric interactions between members of the Mas-related gene (Mrg) receptor family and indicates that interactions between rMrgD and rMrgE modulate the function of rMrgD. Because the Mrg receptors are potential therapeutic targets in pain, these results suggest that efforts to understand the function and regulation of individual Mrg family receptors may require coexpression of relevant pairs.

Differentiation-associated apoptosis of neural stem cells is effected by Bcl-2 overexpression: impact on cell lineage determination

Apoptosis is an integral part of neural development. To elucidate the importance of programmed cell death on cell lineage determination we utilized murine PCC7-Mzl cells, a model system for neural differentiation. Treatment of pluripotent PCC7-Mzl stem cells with 0.1 microM all-trans retinoic acid (RA) causes a cease of proliferation and an initiation of differentiation into neurons, glial cells and fibroblasts. Simultaneously, a fraction of the cell culture (ca. 25%) dies within 24 h by apoptosis. We transfected PCC7-Mzl cells with the human bcl-2 cDNA and generated PCC7-Mz-Bcl-2 cell lines expressing two- to tenfold higher levels of Bcl-2 than parental cells. Overexpression of Bcl-2 resulted in hypophosphorylation of the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein and consequently prolonged the doubling time of the culture from 18 h to 23 h. RA-induced apoptosis was drastically reduced to 3 to 15% depending on the level of Bcl-2 expression. RA-induced caspase activation, cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol and DNA fragmentation was completely blocked. Furthermore, treating Bcl-2 cultures with ceramide (10 microM), a second messenger mediating the RA-initiated death signal in parental cells, no longer caused DNA laddering. Bcl-2 overexpression did not interfere with the potential of PCC7-Mz cells to develop into neurons, glial cells and fibroblasts. However, the relative distribution of cell types in the culture was shifted such that the fraction of neurons was reduced to half (from 60 to 30%) with a concomitant increase in the number of glial and fibroblastoid cells. Furthermore, Bcl-2-overexpressing neurons, but not neurons of parental or mock-transfected PCC7-Mzl cultures, were able to grow as single cells.